You are who you hang out with!

“Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear.”

Proverbs 22:10 NLT. (http://bible.com/116/pro.22.10.nlt)

I have known this to be true. In my former life, as an athletic director at my high school, I had to have people thrown out of an athletic contest. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. Once you get rid of the troublemaker, things settle down . Classroom discipline is the same. In the past I have removed a student only to see ALL the troubles melt away. This is true in nearly every part of my life.

You are who you hang out with. You hang out with drunks, you will, more than likely, be a drunk. You want to maintain a negative attitude, hang out with the people that can't see goo in anything. You want to live life with joy in your heart? Hang out with the God of the Universe. His mercy, grace, forgiveness, and peace will permeate every crack and crevice of your life. Throw out the mocker, throw out the sin. Then look at the quality of your life, not to mention the eternity you will enjoy.

Lord, I praise you. I long to spend time with you, selfishly, because my life on Earth always gets better. Thank you Lord! Thank you for your love and sacrifice even to the cross. Amen!

My eyes

“Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”

Proverbs 17:24 NLT (http://bible.com/116/pro.17.24.nlt)

We always talk about how your words can damage or build up other people. It is very true. But, your eyes are directly connected to your heart. How you look at others speaks volumes about your priorities and your faith. How do you look at the "ugly" people you meet every day. I'm not just talking about looks. That's also important. Do you look with the same loving eyes at physically UNattractive peole as those that are. How do you view sinners? How do you view people that go against your beliefs. How do you look at gays, drug users, prostitutes, and killers? How do you REALLY look at them? I know many that look at them with disgust? They look at them with anger, hate, and disdain! Others ignore them altogether.

Not me. 

In my Chrisitan Motorcyclist Association ministry, I have had the opportunity to hang out with many of the people I just mentioned. I have actually gotten to know many of the people most Christians treat as the enemy. I can truly say I look at them with love and I certainly look at them with sorrow. I can see such great potential and hope if they can just find Jesus. I know I'm not going to force that to happen, but I won't give up hope. We can't just ignore them. We need to look at them with the eyes of Jesus. Jesus does not want us to ignore the lost. He wants us to go to them, love them, and serve them. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

Dear Lord, help mé to have your eyes. Help me to look past the surface and to see into the hearts of the people I meet. Help me not to judge by looks but to get to know, really know the people in this world. Help me to serve them with eyes of love. My life is yours! amen!

Sinners who sin different than me!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV)

It is easy to think of fellowship with your friends and family. I just love to spend time with my daughters and grandkids. I thoroughly enjoy my CMA family and fellowship with them every opportunity I get. I love fellowship with my coworkers and students at school. When you get beyond these groups fellowship is not as easy. I can claim I don't have time beyond my "framily" but that's only partially right. It's probably more accurate to say I don't MAKE time for anyone else.

Jesus has asked us to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. We aren't supposed to stop with the people like us. We are to go to the WORLD, that includes people we don't like, and that live counter to our Christian values. Spending time with THOSE people does not endorse their lifestyle. We need to take those opportunities to show the love of Christ without condition. It doesn't mean we have to change what the Bible says. We don't have to modify our beliefs. We need to still feel strong and hold the values of the Bible as pure and unwavering. We just need to be open to relationships with the sinners that sin differently than we do. Yes, you heard that correctly. We're all sinners. We don't want to just hangout with sinners that sin like we do. Other people sins aren't worse than ours, there just different than ours. We all need Jesus to purify our sins. He died for all of us.

We need to fellowship with anyone who needs the love of Jesus!

I used to live there!

Ephesians 2

 ¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 


I am not too far away from where I once was. Those of you who profess to be Christians know what I'm talking about. It has been more than 35 years since I gave my life to Christ. But, my actions and life haven't moved that far. You would think after 35 years, my sinful past would be a distant memory. Even though I have changed and continue to change for the better, I am still a sinner in need of the grace only God can give. 


God is changing me. He is working his perfect work in me but I am certainly not there yet. I still must rely on his great love, his rich mercy, and his grace. It's easy for me to forget where I've been and how far I have to go. I'm not the person I want to be and I can not wait for Christ to complete his work in me. Until then, I need to help others make the transition and begin the journey toward Christ. I want to take all I can with me. I need to have the same mercy and grace for the lost, that Christ has shown me. I am not better. I used to live where they are living right now. I have just accepted the perfect gift and have begun the journey. I just want them to accept the same gift and to begin that journey.

Where would Jesus preach?

Acts 11

 ⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.....................

 ¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with^[a] water, but you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

 ¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

After Jesus death and resurrection, the disciples started preaching to the gentiles, or non-jewish, people. It wasn't easy. It was so against there upbringing. But, slowly the Holy Spirit changed them. If it weren't for that change, you and I would not be followers today. 

Who are the present day gentiles? Who are the people no one wants to preach to? What group of people do christians ignore? I think one of those groups are bikers, drug dealers, hookers, drunks, addicts, and the like. Don't you think Jesus himself would go to preach to these people. I don't think he would spend as much time in churches as we do. I think he would go to them. Who needs him more? Where are you being called to preach? Where would Jesus want you to preach? Find it and GO!

Show Off!

1 Timothy 1 (The Message)

 ^15-19Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. 

I love these verses.  With Paul's history, he was pretty tough on himself as "Public Sinner Number One". Maybe we should all be that hard on ourselves.  I don't know anyone who has persecuted christians like Paul. But, we're all sinners and none of us deserve the great mercy we've been given. At first glance, the next sentence really bothered me.  Could I ever think of myself as worthy of being the type of person that God could "show off"? I can't even imagine it.  But if you look at what is being said, it makes more sense.  God can use me and my bent toward sinfulness.  He can show me off to say that I am not anywhere close to being worthy of his love. Yet, he still loves me and blesses me beyond my wildest dreams.  He is infinitely patient with me.  He know my weakness and yet he also knows my heart.  I truly desire to please him.  I am woefully poor at doing it! Even though I can never live up to the blessings, God doesn't care.  He just wants to me.
When I am sharing my faith, it's important for me to be open and honest about who I really am.  I need to be real and let those who are on the edge of trusting Christ know my weakness and my sinfulness. When you look at Paul, or the Disciples, or Moses, or Noah, or Abraham, or David, or many of the greats from the Bible, it's easy to say I can never live up to that. Yet, they were all weak.  God used them to say, "My grace is sufficient. My mercy is exceptional.  If I can grant that grace and mercy to these weak and sinful people, I can provide it for you." What a great way to show off his love for us!

Dear Lord,  Thank You for the grace and mercy you grant me and my family.  I know I truly don't deserve your love.  Thank You Lord.  Thank You for my life. May I use it to bring others closer to you. Amen!